The Governor Bradford Is Back—and Provincetown Can Exhale
The Governor Bradford Is Back—and Provincetown Can Exhale
This article was published on June 2, 2026 by Nathan Tavares, Boston Magazine / View the Original Article Here
During a mid-May grand opening party, the new Governor Bradford in Provincetown feels remarkably like the old Governor Bradford. The interior is a bit different, sure: new floors, a new bar with a tile backsplash, a new wood ceiling in the main restaurant area, windows that let in lots more natural light. But that seaside watering hole vibe still permeates the decades-old place at the corner of Commercial and Standish Streets—an enviable spot so bustling that a police officer directs foot and car traffic during busy season—and thankfully.
Familiar sights for anyone who’s frequented the tavern abound: the pool table, albeit sporting fresh blue felt to match the refinished chair cushions; the same black and white sign bearing the iconic spot’s name on the wall of the stage that has seen memorable karaoke performances over the past 20-odd years. And because it’s Provincetown, some TVs play the Sox game while others are tuned to RuPaul’s Drag Race. Not that you can hear much over the pleasant hubbub as servers pass around free bites from the new comfort-food-focused menu, including chicken pot pie croquettes and bang bang shrimp. In other words, even if the spot’s handsome wood detailing now boasts a bit of shine, new management (again, following the 2022 changing of the guard) doesn’t change the fact that the Bradford is still a favorite townie bar in the very best possible way.
“We are big on saying that we are custodians, we are not owners,” says Joe Johnston—the director of operations of Coastal Hospitality Group, which now leases the building—a few hours ahead of the opening party. “I’m not coming into the Bradford and whitewashing it.”
Whitewashing, no—except maybe the new literally gleaming white exterior siding. Another upscale perk: Seats by the new giant accordion windows will be future people-watching spots for the Carnival parade in August and other town events, too. But despite the newness, customers can still sip cocktails in a space full of charm, history, and just the right amount of kitsch.
What helps, surely, is that the staff knows Provincetown. When word came late last year that the building’s owner, Lexvest Group, had found a new tenant for a fifteen-year lease, the town collectively held its breath. Surely, this was another sign of Provincetown’s corporatization—another hospitality giant coming in to kill the local charm. And, yes, Coastal Hospitality Group is, indeed, a group, with four Cape Cod restaurants under its belt (Chapin’s Bayside in Dennis; the Chatham Cut, Codo Mexican Kitchen, and Pate’s in Chatham). “That just means that we have the support to give the buildings what they need,” Johnston says. In Bradford’s case, that means upgraded TVs and a new sound system, a new forthcoming patio, and—hallelujah!—goodbye to the tiny old bathrooms.
Like the restaurant that’s been called the Governor Bradford since 1960, Johnston has been kicking around Provincetown for a while. He was the general manager of seafood-focused Fanizzi’s for two decades. Governor Bradford’s new general manager, Vincent Bosely, worked with Johnston at Fanizzi’s and managed Codo last year. Most of the staff stayed on from the previous incarnation of the Bradford that featured chef/co-owner Collin Kolisko at the helm, serving an izakaya-inspired menu. (Kolisko and his team took over in 2022.)
“It was like a hidden gem,” Johnston says of Kolisko’s concept. “All of our industry was like, ‘Oh, it’s great. You gotta go.’ But it was tough in a tourist town where you walk into this [building] and you don’t necessarily expect that concept.” (Kolisko previously told the Provincetown Independent that he’s looking for a smaller spot in town, and we can’t wait.) “The building dictates what works,” Johnston says. As in, most people walk into a pub and expect pub food.
Johnston developed the new menu of elevated diner-type food himself over about four months and describes it as “comfort chic” and “elevated enough, but still approachable.” Think: a beef Wellington/shepherd’s pie hybrid, branded with the bar’s name on the puff pastry; hearty meatloaf with creamy, garlicky potatoes dauphinoise; shake-and-bake pork schnitzel; and burrata-topped chicken, cod, or shrimp parmigiana. Some particularly retro favorites make the cut, like deviled eggs, oysters Rockefeller, and fondue, not to mention laidback classics like burgers and fried chicken. “We wanted to give you that grandma’s cooking feel,” he says. “The emotional strings that come attached with the food—we really wanted to tug on those.”
Other dishes lean into Provincetown’s Portuguese heritage and the building’s history as a Portuguese fisherman hangout: Portuguese kale soup, for one, as well as cod, seafood stew, and a seven-cheese version of mac and cheese with spicy pork sausage and a garnish of crumbled bolo lêvedo (a slightly sweet Azorean roll that’s like the lovechild of an English muffin and cake).
The bar program boasts some surprises. Johnston is excited to offer wines on draft, including beauties like a rosé from Provence, France; sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand; and prosecco—all dispensed from a temperature-controlled system that’s free of potentially wine-spoiling exposures to sunlight and air. “It’s not too prevalent in town,” he says. “It’s a huge up-and-coming trend in Europe. A lot of people think draft wine is like boxed wine, but it’s totally different.” The draft wine program allows easy sampling of different varietals without committing to a whole bottle. Highlights of the cocktail menu, meanwhile, include a blueberry basil smash with gin and a reimagined mint julep with butter-washed whiskey and matcha syrup. Boozy milkshakes and zero-proof offerings (an espresso cocktail with orange zest syrup and a cream float; smoked tea with maple, orange, and club soda) are on offer, too.
Governor Bradford, like other spots on Commercial Street, has always pulled triple duty—at once a bar, restaurant, and entertainment venue. The legendary drag karaoke isn’t going anywhere. And at least five nights a week, diners can come in for live music. “In such a huge art community, we wanted to give performers a chance to get their face out there,” Johnston says. And like a heckler in the concert crowd, there are always going to be naysayers when something new—or sort of new—happens in town. That packed first night of service, though, saw Johnston, Bosely, and familiar staff working in harmony. “It put people at ease, seeing Vince and I,” Johnston says. “We’ve worked here [in Provincetown] forever. We’re not strangers.”
This article was published on June 2, 2026 by Nathan Tavares, Boston Magazine / View the Original Article Here